أَعَينَيَّ ما بَعدَ اِبنِ موسى ذَخيرَةٌ
فَجودا إِذا أَنفَدتُما الماءَ بِالدَمِ
My eyes, after Ibn Musa there is no treasure
Like you two, generous when you shed blood instead of water,
وَهيجا إِذا نامَ الخَلِيُّ وَأَسعِدا
عَلَيهِ بِنَوحٍ مِنكُما كُلَّ مَأتَمِ
And passionate when the unwise sleep while you mourn him
With wailing, wherever there is grief for him.
وَما لَكُما لا تَبكِيانِ وَقَد بَكَت
لَهُ كُلُّ عَينٍ مِن فَصيحٍ وَأَعجَمِ
Why do you not weep when all eyes have wept for him,
Eloquent and inarticulate?
فَأَيُّ فَتىً بَعدَ اِبنِ موسى نُعِدُّهُ
لِيَومِ لِقاءٍ أَو حَمالَةِ مَغرَمِ
After Ibn Musa, what young man do we consider
For a day of meeting, or a passionate undertaking?
فَتىً بَينَ صِدّيقِ النَبِيِّ فُروعُهُ
وَطَلحَةَ مَحمودِ الخَلائِقِ خِضرِمِ
A young man whose ancestry lies between the Prophet's bosom friend
And Talha, the praised one of all mankind, long-lived,
وَلَو شاءَ إِذ وَلّى الكَتائِبُ حَولَهُ
تَعالى عَلى باقي العُلالَةِ مِرجَمِ
And if he had wished, when the armies rallied around him,
He would have triumphed over the rest of the deposed,
وَلَكِن رَأى أَنَّ الحَياةَ ذَميمَةٌ
وَأَنَّ المَنايا تَرتَقي كُلَّ سُلَّمِ
But he saw that life is worthless,
And that death climbs every ladder.
وَأَنَّ فِرارَ المُسلِمينَ خَزايَةٌ
وَأُحدوثَةٌ تَنمي إِلى كُلِّ مَوسِمِ
He saw the Muslims’ flight was shameful
And scandalous, spreading in every season.
وَعِندَ اِبنِ موسى السالِمِيَّ كَأَنَّهُ
عَتيقٌ بِكَفَّي قانِصٍ مُتَقَرِّمِ
To Ibn Musa the Islamist it was as if
He was an old man with calloused palms made rigid.
وَلاحِقَةُ الآطالِ جُردٌ مُتونُها
تَبُذُّ هَواديها يَدَي كُلِّ مُلجِمِ
The chasing horses, their chests bared,
Gallop wildly, terrorizing every warrior,
عَناجيجُ مِن آلِ الصَريحِ كَأَنَّما
يَخَلنَ اِلتِهابَ الشَدِّ أَسلابَ مَغنَمِ
Neighing steeds from the clan of As-Sarih, as if
Their neighing ignited the intensity of battle, stirred the booty.
فَقالَ لِمَن يَرجو الإِيابَ اِستَغِث بِها
وَكَرَّ كَمَخضوبِ الذِراعَينِ ضَيغَمِ
So he said to whoever hopes for success, seek refuge in them,
And attack, his arms dyed red, like a diving young camel.
بِسَيفِ أَبي بَكرٍ وَطَلحَةَ يَختَلي
بِهِ حَلَقَ الماذِيِّ عَن كُلِّ مِعصَمِ
With the swords of Abu Bakr and Talha he decapitates
The throat of the transgressor, cutting off every support.
فَقُل لِعِتاقِ الخَيلِ تَمنَع ظُهورَها
فَقَد غيلَ عَنها مَن يَقولُ لَها اِقدِمِ
Say to the emancipators of horses, restrain their chests,
For the one who says to them “advance” is gone.
عَلى غَمَراتِ المَوتِ تَشكو عِتاقُها
إِذا ساوَرَت وَقعَ القَنا وَالتَحَمحُمِ
At the overwhelming floods of death, their emancipators complain
When the clash of spears and deep sighing begins.
يَجودُ بِنَفسٍ لا يُجادُ بِمِثلِها
إِذا غَيَّرَ السيما بِهِ كُلُّ مُعلَمِ
He sacrifices a soul that cannot be equaled
If its mark changes him, as does every standard.
فَقَد نَقَضَ الأَيّامُ بَعدَ مُحَمَّدٍ
عَلى القَومِ مِن مِرّاتِهِم كُلَّ مُبرَمِ
After Muhammad, the days have violated
His people, from their treaties, every firm one.
